10 Biggest Data Breaches… So Far

Target became a target for data thieves, who accessed customer information over the holiday season. NBC News estimates that thieves stole credit and debit card information from as many as 40 million accounts over the three weeks spanning Black Friday to December 15, 2013.

USA Today warns that the breach may have affected around 70 million people, many of whom had more than just their credit card number stolen. Hackers also accessed home addresses, names, email addresses and phone numbers of Target customers. The store immediately started doing damage control, offering free credit monitoring and emailing customers to alert them to the risks. The breach ranks among the biggest in history and is being investigated by the Department of Justice.